Kaaba

The Kaaba is a large cube-shaped building inside the mosque known as al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Muslims believe that the Kaaba was built by the command of God. The Kaaba’s original architecture has remained the same for centuries.

According to Islamic sources, the Kaaba was a place of worship for angels before the creation of men. After the creation of Adam, the Kaaba was built by him.According to Qur'an, it is the first house on Earth.[1][2]

The general architecture of the Kaaba remained the same until 1630 because people wanted to keep the original architecture. Only simple repairs and small decorations were made during this long period of time. In 1630, three walls of the Kaaba were heavily damaged by a storm. Then, it was restored by Murad IV, 17th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The Kaaba has remained the same after this renovation.[5]

The Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam.[9] Muslims believe that the Kaaba is the House of God (Baitullah).[4] Prophet Mohammed said[10] the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) is one of the three most important mosques on the Earth.[11]

Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage (hajj) once in a lifetime to the Kaaba.[12] As it is the most holy place in Islam all Muslims pray towards this when they perform the five fardh (necessary acts mentioned in the Qur'an) Salat or prayer.[4][3] At the end of Hajj season, there is a holiday called Eid al-Adha (English: Festival of Sacrifice).

The Kaaba was first covered by Abu Karab As’ad, in 60 BC approximately.[7] The cover was made of valuable materials, as a symbol of his respect for the Kaaba. After that, the Kaaba has been covered with the most valuable materials following the tradition of showing respect.[15]

The covers are produced by a factory every year, the factory was established only to produce the cover in 1927. The cover is replaced every year on the eve of Eid Al-Adha by 160 technicians.

The Kaaba’s cover contains Qur'anic verses. It is made of 450kgs of pure silk, and it includes hundreds of pounds of precious metals, 670 kgs of silver dyed black, about 120 kgs of pure gold and 50 kgs of silver. The cost of the cover is USD 4,534,325. The size of the cover is 658 square metres.[16]